Armed anti-Jewish march to go ahead, say organisers

THE organiser of an armed march against the Jewish population in a small town in Montana has insisted the harassment campaign will go ahead.

The Daily Stormer, an American neo-Nazi website, is planning the march in Whitefish, where the mother of white supremacist Richard Spencer lives.

It will take place in the second week of January, days before president-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.

Spencer, however, who is not directly affiliated with the website, said the march was just a "joke". On 30 December, Spencer, president of a extremist think tank, posted a Youtube video, calling for an end to the "troll storm" in the town.

On 7 January anti-hate groups are planning their own party to celebrate diversity, featuring singing, story telling and remarks from Whitefish officials and a pastor.

Yet Andrew Anglin, publisher of The Daily Stormer and organiser of the march, said he would apply for a permit and would be there personally.

"Montana has extremely liberal open carry laws, so my lawyer is telling me we can easily march through the center of the town carrying high-powered rifles," he wrote.

"Currently, my guys say we are going to be able to put together about 200 people to participate in the march, which will be against Jews, Jewish businesses and everyone who supports either. We will be busing in skinheads from the Bay Area."

Anglin's proposed march is to target and harass Jewish people in what he perceives to be a retaliatory measure for the alleged protests against Spencer's views in the town.

In a blog, Sherry Spencer accused Tanya Gersh, a local real estate agent who is affiliated with anti-hate group Love Lives Here, of threatening her to denounce her son's views and sell her building otherwise Gersh would organise protests.

"Whatever you think about my son's ideas - they are, after all, ideas - in what moral universe is it right for the 'sins' of the son to be visited upon the mother?" Sherry Spencer wrote.

Andrew Anglin then posted pictures of Gersh, her family, including her teenage son, and other Jewish people in the area, along with their contact details and urged a "call for action". He posted pictures of yellow stars on their photos and wrote racial slurs.

Love Lives Here has denied making any threats to Sherry Spencer.

Local police told the New York Times that they were not aware of any death threats to local people after Anglin's campaign, but the Montana Human Rights Network said it had received several threatening messages.

An FBI spokesperson confirmed they were "aware of the issue" and were looking into whether there have been any violations of federal law.

Politicians in Montana have told the group's members they will not be welcome, but president-elect Trump has not made any statement about disavowing the group of the event.

Incoming interior secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement that those with anti-Semitic views "shall find no safe haven here".